Register a birth

Register a birth

You must register your baby before you can get a birth certificate.

Every birth must be registered within 42 days of the child being born.

Register a birth in Westminster

It's best to register the birth at the register office in the district where the baby was born.

If your baby was born in a Westminster hospital or elsewhere in the City of Westminster, for example at home, then you can register your baby at our Register Office.

Hospitals within the City of Westminster

• St Mary’s Hospital
• The Portland Hospital

Local hospitals that are not within the City of Westminster

• University College Hospital - please contact Camden Council
• Chelsea and Westminster Hospital - please contact the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
• St Thomas’ Hospital - please contact Lambeth Council

Cost

There is no fee to register a birth.

Birth certificates

Full certificates contain the baby's details and the parents' details. Birth certificates cost £12.50 each. These can be purchased online during the booking process, and you can collect them at the end of the appointment. 

When making a birth registration appointment we recommend pre-ordering 3 to 5 birth certificates.

If the parents are foreign nationals, birth certificates are often required for:

• consulates to register the birth and apply for passports
• government registration of birth in home countries, if applicable
• 1 or 2 to send home to grandparents for safekeeping

We would also advise you to contact your consulate prior to registering the birth to confirm if they keep the original birth certificate or will accept a photocopy.

If the parents are UK nationals, birth certificates are often required for:

• passport applications
• registration at a medical practice
• benefit applications
• school registration
• where parents travelling abroad are required to show parentage if child and parent have different family name or surname
• 1 or 2 for grandparents for safekeeping

Child Benefit

You must register your baby’s birth before you can make a claim for Child Benefit. 

Find more information on how and why to claim Child Benefit.

Make an appointment

Book an appointment online

More information

Read the GOV.UK complete guide to registering a birth to find out:

• who can register a birth
• where to register a birth
• what you’ll need to take to your appointment​

To find out how we use the information we collect about you, and your rights in relation to that information, please see our privacy notice.

Reusable nappies

Reusable nappies can make an important contribution to waste reduction in the borough.

If you live in Westminster you can get a £70 voucher for reusable nappies. You can use the voucher to buy nappies from participating businesses across London or get started with a real nappy laundry service.

Find out more about reusable nappies.

Accessibility

If you require any accessibility assistance during your appointment then please see the link to Wel-co.ME on your booking confirmation email. This will enable you to provide your accessibility details on WelcoME.com in preparation for your appointment.